Vegetable slicing and stringing tool



Aug.22,1939. K. w. MES T.ERTON ,170,53

VEGETABLE SLICING AND STRINGING TOOL Filed May 18, 1937 III.

INVENTOR Kano Ialflesferfon.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEGETABLE SLICING AND STRINGING TOOL Kuno W. Mesterton, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May 18, 1937, Serial No. 143,292

6 Claims. (01. 146-171) This invention relates to improvements in a to the open end of the forked frame in any suitvegetable slicing and stringing tool for use with able manner is a knife carrier 20 havin a bottom any vegetable, but more particularly adapted to portion 2| and a guide portion 22, said bottom slice and string beans, and has for its object the and guide portions being formed integral with provision of a tool of simple construction having the carrier. Suitably secured in the bottom por- 5 few parts and having the advantages hereinafter tion and extending upwardly and inwardly theret forth, from is a plurality of knives 23 disposed across By way of illustration, two embodiments of the the front of the knife carrier between the bottom invention are disclosed in the following specifiand guide portions thereof as shown in the drawcation, and in the accompanying drawing ing. The knives slant inwardly and upwardly 10 Figure 1 is a vertical plan view of the tool emin the throat of the carrier as shown so that, bodying the invention; as the vegetable is drawn thereagainst by the Figure 2 is a top view of the tool, Figure 1; action of roller 14, the vegetable is drawn Figure 3 is an end view of the tool, Figure 1; through the throat of the carrier without undue Figure 4 is a sectional view on the'line 4--4 of pressure on the guide 22 or bottom 2| thereof 5 Figure 2 with a string bean shown in dotted lines; which occurs if the knives are vertical in the Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure throat a. 4 but with the string bean projecting all the way If desired, the upper ends 23a of the knives into the roller and engaged thereby; and can be secured in the top 20a of the carrier in 20 Figure 6 is an end view of a modified form of the same manner as the bottom 23b thereof, as 20.

the tool shown in Figure 1. shown in Figure 4.

The tool has a forked-shape frame which may In use, the device is pushed along any suitable be formed of the side members l0 and II, shaped surface 24 which action rotates the roller I4. as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which are held to- The bean 25 thrust into the opening in the knife 25 gether by any suitable means such as the rivets carrier 20 will first engage the center portion ll 25 l2, l3 or they may be spot welded together. Beof the roller I4 and will enter between the flanges tween the ends of the fork is supported a roller thereof as indicated at 26, Figure 4. As the roller generally denoted by the numeral 14 comprised revolves, the bean will be pressed downwardly of the side members l5, l6 which may be made until in contact with the surface 24 as shown in of any suitable material, preferably a tough rub- Figure 5, and during this operation the flanges 30 her similar to the tread of an automobile tire. on the center portion ll of the roller will fold These side members are corrugated so that they over the top of the bean as shown at l8 and will will firmly grip the surface over which they are grip the same and urge the bean inwardly so that rolled. the bean will be drawn through the knives 23. A center portion ll of the roller is comprised The two outermost knives are arranged so that 35 of a plurality of radially extending fingers or they will string the bean and one or more center flanges which extend across the roller between knives will slit the same longitudinally. the sides thereof and this center portion is made In the modification shown in Figure 6, a single of suitable material such as rubber somewhat piece of sheet metal a show at 32, forms th softer than the sid s, 50 t h flanges W111 frame, and this is provided with two downwardly gage the bean bend dwnWard1y threPn, as and inwardly extending ears which are bent over shown at Flgul? when the devlce 1S m as shown at 21 and 28. A pair of rollers 29 and The portmn n may be Separate from 30 are mounted in these ears and the construethe slde .members at g fl fifi tion of these rollers is in all respects identical thereon W bend w en engagmg e ean n 8 (except that they are conical) with the roller 14. 45

manner ust described so that the roller w1ll roll S m k 3| t d th over the bean without raising the side members 1 m a e mves are {noun 8 m e ears I5, [6 off the surface 24 along which the tool is These kmves may Stmght ears pushed with a slight pressing motion, and draw may v'shapedgwnfh the V P F mwardly' 5 the same through the knives 23 to be presently Thls y of devlce m opeiaiw-n 1S P f along a surface, same as the device shown in Figure 1,

described.

The sides 5 5 and the center portion [1 are and the bean is inserted frontwise. It is gripped mounted upon a, shaft is supported in the id s by the rollers, the action of same being the same of the frame. as that described in connection with Figure 5,

Immediately ahead of the roller l4 and secured except that there being two rollers, they 00- 55 operate to clutch the bean the knives.

It will be seen from Figure 6 that only the lower edges of the rollers 29 and 30 engage the surface 24 over which the device is pushed to cause it to operate.

If desirable the knives may be inserted in either form of the device in such a way that they are readily removable therefrom, either individually or as a unit. For example, the knife carrier 20 can be secured to the frame by means of screws instead of rivets, as shown.

It will be observed from a study of the foregoing disclosures that the device is simple in construction, positive in operation, that it is easily cleaned, and that all parts are open for inspection at all times.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool of the character described comprising a frame, a roller supported therein and extending below said frame to permit said roller to engage and roll over a surface when said device is pushed therealong, a plurality of knives mounted ahead of said roller and having their edges perpendicular to the axis thereof adapted to slice a vegetable when the same is drawn therethrough and the portion being cut is out of contact with the surface on which the tool is rolled, and resilient means on said roller adapted toengage said vegeand draw it through table and draw the same through said knives i a knife carrier while passing over the sliced vegetable while same is held between said means and the surface engaged by said roller.

2. In a tool of the character described, a frame, mounted on said frame having a longitudinal throat having a rounded inner bottom wall and a fiat upper wall sloping downwardly in said throat, and a plurality of knives positioned in said throat and having their cutting edges extending upwardly from the bottom of the throat towards the slanting top wall thereof, and means on said frame for drawing a vegetable through said throat and past said knives to slice the vegetable thereby.

3. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a frame, a roller pivotally supported therein and having end portions below the bot tom of said frame and adapted to engage and roll along a surface as the tool is propelled thereover, means forming a throat in said frame, said roller also including a portion between its ends adapted to engage a vegetable extending through said throat and hold the same against said surface, thereby causing said vegetable to traverse said throat as said tool is propeller over said surface, and cutting means supported within said throat for slicing said vegetable as the latter is pulled through said throat by said roller.

4. In a tool of the character described, a frame having a throat formed therein, a resilient roller in said frame adjacent to said throat and having portions extending beneath said frame adapted to engage and compress a vegetable between said roller and a surface over which said tool is moved, thereby drawing said vegetable through said throat, a pivot shaft mounted in said frame and supporting said roller, and a plurality of knives within said throat, the axes of said knives being angular with respect to the shaft.

5. In a too-l of the character described, a frame, a pair'of rollers pivotally mounted in said frame and extending below said frame to engage a Surface as said tool is propelled therealong, a feed roller supported between the rollers of said pair and comprised of a plurality of radially extending webs of resilient material adapted to successively engage a vegetable and to hold the same against said surface as the tool is propelled therealong, a throat in said frame, and a plurality of knives positioned in said throat and adapted to slice said vegetable as it is drawn through said throat due to the action of said feed roller cooperating with said surface.

6. In a tool of the class described, a frame carrying a throat through which vegetables may be drawn, a plurality of knives positioned in said throat and having their cutting edges at right angles to the opening of said throat, a resilient rolier rotatably mounted adjacent to said throat and carrying a plurality of resilient webs adapted when said member is rotated to hold the end of a vegetable extending through said throat in engagement with a surface over which said tool is propelled thereby urging said vegetable through said throat whereby the vegetable may be sliced by said knives, said throat and said resilient member being fixed in cooperative relationship in said frame.

KUNO W. MESTERTON. 

